1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to a system and method including a device for sensing and collecting biological fluid inputs and transmitting inputs to a remote computing device for analyzing the biological fluid inputs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, biomarkers from biological fluid have significant prognostic and/or diagnostic utility, such as predicting disease, nutritional imbalance, or psychological or physical stress; however, many of the most utilized biomarkers are collected from blood. The ability to predict events through non-invasive means, such as sweat detection, provides great utility to persons under physical stress, particularly individuals in the process of physical activity or exercise. The ability to monitor sweat biomarkers in real time and continuously during activity allows an individual to make informed decisions regarding hydration, nutrition, and exertional status, and recovery all variables that moderate physical performance.
For example, hydration status is a predictor of physical performance; dehydration as low as 1% of body mass can impair performance. Prior art detection and treatment, as shown in FIG. 1, is currently at the stages of when symptoms present, performance degrades, and/or injury presents. Determining hydration through sweat biomarkers before dehydration symptoms present has many benefits, such as reducing fatigue, cramps, and headaches. Therefore, developing a device and system for non-invasively obtaining biomarkers, such as through sweat, is needed.
Sweat contains a multitude of biomarkers; any substance aqueously dissolvable in the blood can present in the sweat by way of eccrine glands. The sweat biomarkers can be small molecules (molecular weight <900 Daltons), proteins, metabolites, and/or electrolytes. Well-known electrolytes in sweat are sodium and potassium. As shown in FIG. 2, potassium concentration is not dependent upon sweat rate due to the passive diffusive transport of potassium, while sodium and chloride concentrations in sweat are dependent upon sweat rate due to the active transport of sodium. Thus, monitoring sodium or chloride concentrations is an accurate, indirect means of indicating hydration status of an individual. Therefore, developing a sweat biomarker monitoring device that can communicate to an individual real-time biomarker data is needed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,953 for method and system for continuous sweat collection and analysis by inventors Webster, et al. filed Mar. 11, 1999 and issued Mar. 6, 2001 is directed to a method and system of the invention providing especially for continuously obtaining and analyzing, on a real time basis, sweat from a selected area of skin on the body of a person, especially a neonate, being diagnosed for cystic fibrosis, by causing sweating of the selected area of skin, by placing an electrically positive iontophoretic electrode device of a set of said devices over the selected area of skin preferably within a previously placed receiving and holding device which, following the induction of sweat and removal of the electrically positive iontophoretic electrode device, receives a sweat-sensing electrode device that continuously sends electrical signals to sweat analysis circuitry for providing a digital readout of the ionic composition of the sweat.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,388,534 for apparatus for providing skin care information by measuring skin moisture content and method and medium for the same by inventors Jang, et al. filed Sep. 24, 2007 and issued Mar. 5, 2013 is directed to an apparatus for providing skin care information, the apparatus including: an electrode unit supplying a voltage to a user's skin and detecting a current signal in the user's skin; a measurement control unit measuring the user's skin moisture content and sweat gland activity by using the detected current signal; a data calculation unit deriving skin moisture content information by using the skin moisture content and the sweat gland activity, and generating skin care information corresponding to the skin moisture content information; and an information provider providing the user with the generated skin care information is provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,575,549 for an apparatus and method for increasing, monitoring, measuring, and controlling perspiratory water and solid loss at reduced ambient pressure by inventor Miller filed Jul. 30, 2004 and issued Aug. 18, 2009 is directed to a device for increasing, monitoring, and measuring perspiration water and solid loss at reduced ambient pressure, comprising a sealed chamber capable of maintaining less than atmospheric pressure for an extended period of time and a gasket-sealed door accessing the chamber. An algorithm allowing for continuous calculations of sweat loss and fluid replacement requirements of the occupant of the chamber is disclosed.
US Publication No. 20140330096 for method for performing a physiological analysis with increased reliability by inventor Brunswick filed Nov. 12, 2012 and published Nov. 6, 2014 is directed to a method for performing an electrophysiological analysis implemented in a system includes: a series of electrodes to be placed on different regions of the human body; a DC voltage source controlled so as to produce DC voltage pulses; a switching circuit for selectively connecting the active electrodes to the voltage source, the active electrodes forming an anode and a cathode, and for connecting at least one other high-impedance passive electrode used to measure the potential reached by the body; and a measuring circuit for reading data representative of the current in the active electrodes, and data representative of the potentials generated on at least certain high-impedance electrodes in response to the application of the pulses, the data allowing a value to be determined for the electrochemical conductance of the skin. The method also regenerates a high-impedance electrode connected to the voltage source as a cathode.
US Publication No. 20140350432 for assessment of relative proportions of adrenergic and cholinergic nervous receptors with non-invasive tests by inventors Khalfallah, et al. filed Aug. 8, 2014 and published Nov. 27, 2014 is directed to a system and method for assessing relative proportions of cholinergic and adrenergic nervous receptors in a patient. The system includes: an anode, a cathode, and passive electrode for placement on different regions of the patient body. The method generally includes: applying DC voltage pulses of varying voltage values to stress sweat glands of the patient, collecting data representing the current between the anode and the cathode and the potential of the anode, the cathode, and the passive electrode for each of the different DC voltage, and computing data representing the electrochemical skin conductance of the patient. The computed data representing the electromechanical skin conductance of the patient is reconciled with reference data from control patients having known relative proportions of cholinergic and adrenergic nervous receptors. Thus, the relative proportions of cholinergic and adrenergic nervous receptors in the patient can be determined.
US Publication No. 20150019135 for motion sensor and analysis by inventors Kacyvenski, et al. filed Jun. 3, 2014 and published Jan. 15, 2015 is directed to the performance of an individual being monitored based on measurements of a conformal sensor device. An example system includes a communication module to receive data indicative of a measurement of at least one sensor component of the conformal sensor device. The sensor component obtains measurement of acceleration data representative of an acceleration proximate to the portion of the individual. A comparison of a parameter computed based on the sensor component measurement to a preset performance threshold value provides an indication of the performance of the individual.
Published article by Liu, et al. in Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc, 2014: 1678-81, discusses the implementation of a microfluidic conductivity sensor—a potential sweat electrolyte sensing system for dehydration detection.
US Publication No. 20130245388 for electronics for detection of a condition of tissue by inventors Rafferty, et al. filed Sep. 4, 2012 and published Sep. 19, 2013 is directed to an apparatus for monitoring a condition of a tissue based on a measurement of an electrical property of the tissue. In an example, the electrical property of the tissue is performed using an apparatus disposed above the tissue, where the apparatus includes at least two conductive structures, each having a non-linear configuration, where the at least two conductive structures are disposed substantially parallel to each other. In another example, the electrical property of the tissue is performed using an apparatus disposed above the tissue, where the apparatus includes at least one inductor structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,893 for analyzer having sensor with memory device by inventors Ozawa, et al. filed Jun. 5, 1995 and issued Nov. 25, 1997 is directed to an analyzer including an exchangeable and consumable element such as a sensor, column or reagent the characteristic of which specifies an analyzing condition. The element is provided with a non-volatile semiconductor memory which holds an analyzing condition adapted for the element as data. When the element is mounted on an analyzer body, a controller of the analyzer reads the analyzing condition from the memory to update an analyzing condition inherently provided in the analyzer body. The result of analysis and/or operational history information of use of the element may be written into the memory with which the element is provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,241,697 for formation of immobilized biological layers for sensing by inventors Collier, et al. filed Dec. 20, 2007 and issued Aug. 14, 2012 is directed to enzyme immobilization compositions comprising: one or more enzymes, a humectant, an acrylic-based monomer, a water-soluble organic photo-initiator and a water-soluble acrylic-based cross-linker in a substantially homogeneous aqueous mixture. The invention is also directed to methods for forming sensors comprising such compositions and to apparati for forming arrays of immobilized layers on an array of sensors by dispensing such compositions onto a substrate.
WIPO Publication No. WO2016061362 for sweat sensing device communication security and compliance by inventors Heikenfeld, et al. filed Oct. 15, 2015 and published Jun. 16, 2016 is directed to an invention that addresses confounding difficulties involving continuous sweat analyte measurement. Specifically, the invention provides: at least one component capable of monitoring whether a sweat sensing device is in sufficient contact with a wearer's skin to allow proper device operation; at least one component capable of monitoring whether the device is operating on a wearer's skin; at least one means of determining whether the device wearer is a target individual within a probability range; at least one component capable of generating and communicating alert messages to the device user(s) related to: wearer safety, wearer physiological condition, compliance with a requirement to wear a device, device operation; compliance with a behavior requirement, or other purposes that may be derived from sweat sensor data; and the ability to utilize aggregated sweat sensor data that may be correlated with information external to the device to enhance the predictive capabilities of the device.
Published article by Rose, et al. in IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, Nov. 6, 2014, pages 1-9, discusses an adhesive RFID sensor patch for monitoring of sweat electrolytes.
Although biomarkers in sweat are appreciated, specifically electrolytes and glucose, a system and method is still lacking that continuously analyzes sweat biomarkers in real time and transmits data to a user, which informs the user of his or her health status.